Comments on: Afternoon Open Thread

By: Percocet addiction.

Percocet addiction. — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 06:00:40 +0000

Percocet addiction….

Percocet addiction….

By: Handjob vs blowjob.

Handjob vs blowjob. — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 10:28:13 +0000

Handjob vs blowjob….

Handjob vs blowjob….

By: Ultram.

Ultram. — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:38:33 +0000

Ultram….

Ultram….

By: RobM

RobM — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:00:41 +0000

I understand your point. In the ver short term of installing this program as it is written it will be rewritten so we end up w/ a single payer system. We'll finance it properly by using general tax revenue.
You're watching small “p” politics of the worse kind. We would be better off w/ a terrorist attack against the Congress that kills all of them so we can start over.

By: AxelFoley

AxelFoley — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:15:11 +0000

This.

"Supporters of HCR need to get up off our asses and put pressure on our local congressmen and senators instead of expecting Obama to do all the work."

Especially this.

By: RobM

RobM — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:00:41 +0000

By: AxelFoley

AxelFoley — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:15:11 +0000

This.

By: mon_dieu_ishmael

mon_dieu_ishmael — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:10:06 +0000

You will note the the article refers to the backloading of costs such that the true cost of the program is obscured in 10 year cost estimates. It also is truthful about cost reductions in that congress just voted to RAISE payments to doctors.
This healthcare bill is an entitlement. As pointed out in the article, once the entitlement is in place it can only be EXPANDED because it will impact a large number of VOTERS. IT WILL NOT LOWER HEALTHCARE COSTS.

If congress is going to pass this bill (and they will), the need to project actual costs and not fantasy costs.

By: RobM

RobM — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:44:20 +0000

I agree w/ you totally about what it would mean stateside.
It was an indictment of the Bush administration having a war to reward corporate sponsors.

By: morphus

morphus — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:45:56 +0000

The move towards the start of testing at 1st grade is just business for testing companies, tutoring services, and creates an education gap.

Today, as the job market continues to shrink, this country increases education requirements on resumes. Setting education requirements like, employees need to change job skill set every 5 years. The job markets darn near at point where it require a Master's degree for most job skill sets once performed by high school graduates.

By: JeffL

JeffL — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:33:52 +0000

Interesting article and it answered in part one of my questions, "what about the quality of this care?"--
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I think he has reached the point where if you increase volume any more, you could compromise patient care unless backed up by very robust standard operating procedures and processes," Dr. Varma says.

But Jack Lewin, chief executive of the American College of Cardiology, who visited Dr. Shetty's hospital earlier this year as a guest lecturer, says Dr. Shetty has done just the opposite -- used high volumes to improve quality. For one thing, some studies show quality rises at hospitals that perform more surgeries for the simple reason that doctors are getting more experience. And at Narayana, says Dr. Lewin, the large number of patients allows individual doctors to focus on one or two specific types of cardiac surgeries.

In smaller U.S. and Indian hospitals, he says, there aren't enough patients for one surgeon to focus exclusively on one type of heart procedure.

By: caribgirl

caribgirl — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:56:59 +0000

When it comes to domestic spending, deficits matter but for foreign adventures they don't count. That NYTimes article about all those white elephants that were built in Iraq is just sad. Think of the benefits if they were done stateside instead.

By: RobM

RobM — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:18:56 +0000

I just love it when you talk dirty!!!

By: RobM

RobM — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:15:08 +0000

I love it when you talk dirty!!!

By: RobM

RobM — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:14:23 +0000

this is an incredibly weak article.
One, they site as the cause of the deficit on social spending and the increase for the new healthcare bill, which by the way doens't start until fiscal year 2013 or 14. Why is it that spending on the defense department doesn't count. Read this article on how money was spent in Iraq for infrastructure that was appropriate for the us but not Iraq. Areal examination of US geopolitical issues would remove military bases from much of Europe and Japan saving trillions over the next ten years.
Two, they at least touched on the tax code but as usual they only want to close some loopholes. What is needed is a new tax code that addresses the economy of today and excludes ALL loopholes. It could be done w/ a flat tax and very limited exclusions for businesses, individuals and families.
Three, much of the current deficit is being caused by FED guarantees(which you can't see, which means you do not even know who is getting them or why, to the financial system. what is required here is an end to the guarantees and a revamping of the system to prevent the government from being the provider of last resort.
Four, the concept of the deficit is being addressed, i.e. why is there a deficit. It isn't merely because there isn't sufficient revenue but that what revenue there is not being spent to provide the basis for more revenue. If you spend money so everyone has the same basic coverage do you think there will be more productivity in the economy or not? If you spend more money on infrastructure(not the bridge to nowhere) will it improve delivery of goods and services or not?
The challnge is for all of us is to examine how we look at a concept and determine if it is the correct way or havewe succumbed to the Reublican way of framing an issue in nebulous emotional terms that don't further debate but instead lock our thinking into a codependent spiral of despair.

By: angee_is_mad

angee_is_mad — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:56:49 +0000

Just when you start to forget about bubba's antics on the campaign trail, he does some FU*&up crap like this.
bubba better pray KO doesn't go SPECIAL COMMENT on his azz on Monday!!!

By: mon_dieu_ishmael

mon_dieu_ishmael — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:37:33 +0000

The Coming Deficit Disaster:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240527487...

By: trose1

trose1 — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:29:25 +0000

I think Rachel's show should have more panels like the one last night. She is more conversational and interesting responding to others. I am hoping she does this more often. Note- she needs a more diverse panel.

By: ch555x

ch555x — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:15:12 +0000

The notion of a post-industrial society was a subject I went over during a class in my info-sci degree program. Most of the stuff we use is made overseas, so we're basically in a service-based mode.

By: Miranda

Miranda — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:09:43 +0000

Oh…I thought they were gonna release the tape of Obama being born from a jackal in a Kenyan jungle circled by dancing witch doctors who sing in tongue some satanic chant.

I was so hoping for that.